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My Favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction Books

Why am I devoting an entire list to fantasy and sci-fi? Basically because I've always found imaginative fiction to be the most enjoyable. (You may have already noticed that most of the children's literature books I listed are also fantastical.) I love how anything can happen and how these tales stretch the mind's grasp of reality and possibility. What I like best when I immerse myself in a book is a story—and fantasy delivers in spades.

As mentioned in the previous book list, these recommendations aren't current. Rather, I'm focusing on books that I grew up with—ones that might even be overlooked by today's readers. I also do not mean these are books you should read—I enjoyed very few of the books I was forced to read in various English and literature classes. These are simply books I loved reading (and re-reading). I think you'll enjoy them too.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Favorites

Adams, Douglas

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide trilogy

Anthony, Piers

The Tarot trilogy

The Xanth series (first 6 or 7 books)

The Split Infinity trilogy

The Incarnations of Immortality series

Prostho Plus

Asimov, Isaac

The Robot series

The Foundation series

Asprin, Robert

The Myth Adventures series (first 5 or 6 books)

Beagle, Peter

A Fine and Private Place

The Last Unicorn

Bester, Alfred

The Demolished Man

Bradbury, Ray

The Martian Chronicles

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Many other short stories

Burroughs, Edgar Rice

The John Carter of Mars series (first 3 books)

Chalker, Jack L.

The Well of Souls series (first 5 books)

de Camp, L. Sprague and Fletcher Pratt

The Compleat Enchanter

Donaldson, Stephen R.

The First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Eddings, David

The Belgariad series

Ellison, Harlan

Dangerous Visions

Farmer, Philip José

The Riverworld series

Forward, Robert L.

Dragon's Egg

Gaiman, Neil

The Sandman series

Galouye, Daniel F.

Simulacron-3

Goldman, William

The Princess Bride

Heinlein, Robert A.

Time Enough for Love

Herbert, Frank

The Dune series (first 3 or 4 books)

Leiber, Fritz

The Big Time

Conjure Wife

MacAvoy, R.A.

Tea with the Black Dragon

May, Julian

The Saga of the Exiles series

The Galactic Milieu series

Miller Jr., Walter M.

A Canticle for Liebowitz

Moore, Alan

V for Vendetta

Watchmen

Munn, H. Warner

Merlin's Ring

Myers, John Myers

Silverlock

The Moon's Fire-Eating Daughter

Powers, Tim

The Anubis Gates

Robinson, Spider

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon

Saberhagen, Fred

The New Dracula series (first 3 or 4 books)

Stallman, Robert

The Book of the Beast trilogy

Stewart, Mary

The Merlin trilogy

Tolkien, J.R.R.

The Lord of the Rings

Wangerin, Walter

The Book of the Dun Cow

Wolfe, Gene

The Book of the New Sun series

Young, Robert E.

Eridahn

Zelazny, Roger

The Chronicles of Amber series

…and a special shout-out to Famous Science Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time and Space, edited by Raymond J. Healy and J. Francis McComas. This anthology of Golden Age stories includes 5 of the greatest sci-fi tales ever told:

“By His Bootstraps”, by Robert A. Heinlein

“Who Goes There?”, by John W. Campbell Jr.

“Nightfall”, by Isaac Asimov

“Farewell to the Master”, by Harry Bates

“He Who Shrank”, by Henry Hasse

Keep reading…

Comments

Submitted by Noemi on 2016 Nov 18

This is a wonderful list, I haven't read most of these, and I look forward to bombarding my library with new requests. Have you ever read any of Ursula K LeGuin's books? The Left Hand of Darkness is one of her best.

Absolutely! Her Earthsea trilogy is on the Children's Literature list, although it could just as easily been here. I think I need to re-read Left Hand of Darkness… I have to admit it didn't make a great impression on me, but maybe I was too young or just in the wrong frame of mind. I know it's a classic.